or eighth year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, who came to the throne immediately after him. Such a long space of public tranquility, and the countenance and protection of the civil powers, could fcarcely fail of producing confiderable corruption of manners. It feldom happens, at leaft, that fuch a long scene of profperity has been fuitably improved. We find the Jews greatly funk in various corrup tions when Ezrah came to Jerufalem. They are charged with mingling themselves with the people of the land, and doing according to their abominations,-taking of the daughters of the land for themselves, and their fons, for wives: So that the holy feed was greatly corrupted; and the hand of the princes was high in the provocation. Such univerfal corruption rendered a reformation highly proper ;-fuch finful mixtures rendered a feparation abfolutely neceffary.

7. THE Lord, in divine fovereignty, had conferred recent favours upon this finning people. Artaxerxes Longimanus, who is probably the Ahasuerus mentioned in Scripture, granted unto Ezrah, and the whole Church and nation of the Jews, an edit, attended with greater folemnity than ufual; being given by the Perfian monarch and his feven counsellors, the highest authority of the empire; and containing more ample grants than those of any former monarch, empowering Ezrah to cele

brate

brate the Jewish worship at the public expenfe ; and also, to fet up courts of the last resort, according to the Jewish conftitution*. Thus was Jerufalem built, not in refpect of its walls and bars, indeed; but in respect of its polity, laws, and governours: For it is rule and government that conftitute a city. This was the BUILDING OF THE CITY foretold by Gabriel, I prefume; and the commencement of the feventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety years, which fhould elapfe prior to the excifion of the Meffiah.

FIFTHLY, The CONFIRMATIONS of this Covenant is the next branch of our fubject. And it will be found to have been ratified,

1. BY folemn promife, " And Ezrah the prieft ftood up and faid unto them, Ye have tranfgreffed, and taken ftrange wives, to en: creafe the trefpafs of Ifrael. Now, therefore, make confeffion unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his pleasure, and separate yourfelves from the people of the land, and from the ftrange wives. Then all the congregation anfwered, with a loud voice, As thou haft faid, fo must we do t."

2. IT was a SWORN Covenant, "Then Ezrah arose, and made the Chief Priests, and the Le

* Ezr. vii. 25, 26.

† Ezr. x. 10, 11, 12.

vites, and all Ifrael, to ́s WEAR, that they fhould do according to this word; and they sWARE."

3. As Ezrah was well acquainted with the example of the Church in former times, we have reafon to conclude, that it was a WRITTEN Covenant, as well as former ones; but, as this circumftance is not recorded, we fhall not infift on it.

IT is now time to finish this fubject with a very few REFLECTIONS.

1. THE Church may, and ought to covenant with the living God, when many genuine faints neglect, or hefitate as to this duty, on the one hand; and enemies make great oppofition to it, on the other. Not a few of the Jews preferred a place in Babylon unto their own poffeffion in the promised land; and, by this means, deprived themfelves of an opportunity of joining in this work: Yea, more Jews probably staid in Babylon than those who returned.

2. GREAT deliverances call for fuitable improvement, and grateful remembrance. If perfons are delivered by God, is it too much for them to be devoted to him? It was long before the Jews made this return; but providence compelled them to do it at the last.

3. SOLEMN COVENANTING may be performed, when the civil powers of that people who Q¶¶

Covenant

covenant are of a religion different from that which is fworn to in the facred bond; and yet thefe covenanters may, and ought to be strictly loyal; giving ready obedience to fuch magistrates in their lawful commands. This is a cafe fo much in point to prefent covenanting, that it deferves to be carefully furveyed on all fides. The enemies of the Jews forged an accufation againft them, which has frequently been of great fervice to their fucceffors: Said they, If this people be permitted to carry their defigns into execution, they will foment rebellion; they will not pay toll, tribute, and custom: But thefe covenanters gave a practical confutation of this calumny; fhewing, that there is an eternal difference between the caufe of God and that of rebellion; though the former has been often branded with the name of the latter. A people may be fo circumftanced, as to continue under the fame engagements to God as did their fathers, tho' they be widely different from them as to their political ftate. Such was the cafe of the Jews at this time; and fuch is our cafe. In both Churches, tho' the covenanters are sprung from covenanting ancestors; yet both yield obedience to non-covenanted magiftrates; and alfo proceed in the line of duty by covenant-renovation, altho' they have not the concurrence of the fupreme magiftrate. In both cafes, covenanters are under great bondage; yet ftrictly loyal, not for fear of wrath, but for confcience fake.

ON THE COVENANT

BETWEEN GOD AND HIS CHURCH,

IN THE DAYS OF NEHEMIAH.

NEHEMIAH ix. 38. x. I 39.

TH

HIS is the laft Tranfaction tranfmitted to us in the Old Teftament; but by no means the leaft fignal. The facred hiftorian afcertains,-I. The Perfons Covenanting.-II. The Character of the Minister, by whose inftrumentality they were brought to perform this duty.—III. The Matter of this Covenant.-— IV. The Manner in which they performed it. -V. The Occafions of this Tranfaction.-VI. The Solemn Confirmations of it.-After a fhort furvey of each of thefe, we fhall fubjoin fome Improvement.

FIRST, I shall attend unto the PERSONS Covenanting.